1. Field of the Invention
An electrosurgical device for use with an electrosurgical generator to remove polyps from the gastrointestinal tract.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrosurgical generators used in cutting and coagulating have become common place. Such devices include electrosurgical polyp snares for use in removing polyps found in the gastrointestinal tract. Such surgical snares generally include an elongated flexible sheath connected to an operating hand piece. Extending through the sheath is an elongated flexible cable including an operating loop coupled to a movable portion of the operating hand piece so that the cable can be extended and retracted by a surgeon relative to the elongated flexible sheath to selectively open and close the operating loop as the surgeon manipulates the extended operating hand piece to protract or retract the cable. When the cable is in extended position the operating loop is fully employed outside the elongated flexible sheath and in its fully extended position. As the cable is retracted the operating loop is drawn into the elongated flexible sheath and closed around the polyp.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,113 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,254 show a surgical cannula including a sheath having a member movably disposed therein. With a surgical instrument operable by movement of the movable member relative to the sheath. The cannula further includes an operating assembly comprising a body or handle which slidably receives a slide for movement of the body including a pair of longitudinally spaced apart walls having the same general shape as the cross section of the body. The walls are provided with aligned apertures which rotatably receive a stem. The stem includes proximal and distal ends, and the proximal end of the movable member is fixedly attached to the distal end of the stem. The proximal end of the sheath is fixedly attached to the body portion of the handle. The stem is provided with a thumbwheel which is accessible through the side wall of the body being manipulatable to rotate the movable member in the sheath. The slide includes a rack and the body supports an additional thumbwheel having pinion gear teeth formed thereon, the pinion gear teeth engaging the rack. Manipulation of the second-mentioned thumbwheel causes the slide to move longitudinally within the body to move the movable member longitudinally within the sheath.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,106 relates to a surgical instrument including a body including a passageway, a snare electrode, a spool and an electrical connector. The snare electrode. A second portion of the snare electrode is extendable from passageway for forming a loop sized to be placed over tissue (e.g., portion(s) of the uterus and/or kidney(s), spleen, pancreas, gallbladder, remnant from the liver, and/or vascular aneurysm) to be removed from a patient. The spool is rotatably supported in a proximal part of the body. A first portion of the snare electrode is windable about the spool. A rotation of the spool in a winding direction causes retraction of the first portion of the snare electrode from a first port of the passageway thereby closing the loop to engage the tissue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,752 shows a ribbon switch assembly including a tape switch strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,143 relates to a removable switch electrocautery instrument, comprising a releasably mounting switch means with a conductive member adapted to come into contact with living tissue and a handle member. Means are provided on the switch means to make an electrical connection with the conductive member adapted to come into contact with the living tissue. Electrical connection between the switch means may be made through one of the springably releasable attachments or a separate connector element.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,763 shows an electrosurgical hand piece of different-sized electrodes having hollow shanks and means for supplying suction adjacent the electrode tip for simultaneous removal of liquids or gasses. The hand piece can be fitted with a removable finger switch activator which can also be attached to other objects for the surgeon's convenience. Means for controlling the suction pressure at the electrode tip are also provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,702 shows a hand piece operatively coupled to a phacoemulsification machine to supply the hand piece with irrigation fluid, aspiration suction and ultrasonic energy. The application of irrigation fluid and aspiration suction to the hand piece are preferably controlled with a foot pedal which is operatively coupled to the phacoemulsification machine. The application of ultrasonic energy to the hand piece is controlled by a button, slide tab, knob or the like which is preferably detachably mounted to the main body of the hand piece so that the application of ultrasonic energy can be manually controlled by the surgeon.
Many of the prior art surgical snares are difficult to manipulate with precision at the point of application. In addition, control of the various operating modes through hand and foot switches is unnecessarily awkward.